


Explanations

by Lady_Sci_Fi



Series: A Life Together [4]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963), Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 01:55:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16379174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Sci_Fi/pseuds/Lady_Sci_Fi
Summary: After the Doctor and Sarah return from their honeymoon, they have some explaining to do to their family and friends regarding their appearance.





	Explanations

 Clyde headed over to Sarah’s house to check on it while she and the Doctor were away on their honeymoon. It had been nearly a week after the wedding, and all had been quiet around the area.

 Clyde noticed movement inside, and smiled at the familiar shape of the Doctor. While he had a key, he decided it was polite to knock.

 “If it’s Luke, Clyde, or Rani, you can come in,” the Doctor called out.

 Clyde took the invitation to unlock the door himself, and he found the Doctor working on some device or another in the living room. “So, how was the honeymoon?”

 The Timelord looked up to the young man, “Brilliant and just what we’d hoped for.”

 Something about the Doctor’s face seemed… off, but Clyde couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Maybe something with his hair? But, that didn’t look any different, maybe a bit darker? “That’s great. Romantic and relaxing?”

 “Exactly that,” the Doctor nodded. “Sarah’s upstairs, if you want to see her.”

 The Timelord’s grin seemed a little different than usual, like he was expecting Clyde to react to something. Clyde wasn’t sure exactly what was up, but now he knew something definitely was.

 “Yeah, I’ll do-“ Clyde started. Then they both turned in the direction of the stairs at the sound of footsteps coming down them.

 “Oh, hello, Clyde,” Sarah greeted.

 “Nice trip, Sa…” Clyde’s voice trailed out when he got a full view of the woman. “You… you look… Stand still?” There was no mistaking it. She still looked like herself, but… “You look amazing! Younger?”

 Sarah smiled widely. “I’d put it at about forty.”

 “You look younger than that, I’d reckon.”

 Sarah shrugged at that. “I’ve always looked younger than my age.”

 “Well that goes double, now.” Clyde glanced between Sarah and the Doctor. “Him, too?”

 “Timelords age slower,” the Doctor answered. “So it isn’t as obvious on me.”

 Clyde clasped his hands together. “I knew there was something weird about you! Well, maybe not weird, but… What happened? Not that this is bad of course, but how?”

 Sarah chuckled, and draped her arms over the back of the sofa and the Doctor’s shoulders. “You’ve met Ian and Barbara Chesterton. Sometimes, time and space travel exposes you to things that can affect you in such ways.”

 “Yeah, but they never aged. You two have reversed. You didn’t fall into a sort of… time trap thing, did you?” Clyde watched both of their faces with suspicion. “No, it wasn’t that. That would be too convenient and coincidental to happen on your honeymoon.”

 “Stranger coincidences have happened,” the Doctor said teasingly.

 “This was on purpose, wasn’t it?” Clyde guessed. At the lack of response, he begged, “Please, you know you can tell me anything. Was it a… a future alien spa that reverses aging?”

 To the Doctor, Sarah said, “I told you a vague answer wouldn’t work on them.”

 “Worth a try,” the Doctor replied.

 “What’s the secret?” Clyde tried again.

 The Doctor tapped the side of his nose with a sly grin.

 “Oh, come on! You can’t show up from your honeymoon looking younger and not explain.”

 Sarah hummed in amusement. “Oh, I think we have the right to.” She ruffled the Doctor’s hair as she straightened. “Or, maybe we rather not have to explain it several times. We haven’t decided which one yet.”

 Clyde sighed, “I guess that’s fair.” He sat on the other chair. “So, where did you go? What did you do?”

 During a lull in the conversation, Clyde went to the kitchen for a drink, and stealthily took a photo of them sitting together on the couch when he came back.

 As soon as Clyde left them a little later, he sat on the bench of the back garden, and decided on how to tell his friends.

 To Luke and Rani, he texted, ‘Look who’s back from their honeymoon,’ with the photo. Then he sent to Maria, ‘You still have that crush on SJ?’

 The response came a short moment later. ‘None of your business. Why?’

 ‘Take it as a warning.’ Then he sent the picture. His phone rang a few seconds later, and he answered it with a little laugh.

 “Is this real?” Maria asked. “Like, not photoshopped or anything?”

 “Yes, it’s real. I wouldn’t lie to all of you about it. Seeing them in person with no warning was… a lot to take in, to say the least.”

 “I can imagine.” Maria paused for a moment. “Just… wow. She looks- they look so good.”

 “Yeah. They’re being vague about it, though. Like it’s a secret.”

 “Maybe they’ll explain later.”

 “I hope so. They’ll have to come up with something more than just ‘sometimes time travel does weird things’ at least.”

 “That’s all they said?”

 “Yeah, and it wasn’t very convincing.” Clyde pulled the phone away from his ear as it started ringing. “Oh, that’s Rani. I expect Luke will call soon, too.”

 

 That evening, Clyde went back to Sarah’s house, with Luke and Rani in tow. They found the married couple in the attic. A moment later, Maria joined them via Mr Smith’s screen.

 “Alright, Mum, Doctor, what’s going on?” Luke asked.

 “I certainly wasn’t expecting to get a photo of you two like… this. You do look wonderful, but how?” asked Rani.

 “You won’t be able to pull any vague answers on us,” Maria stated.

 “We didn’t really expect to,” the Doctor replied. “You’re all much too smart for that.”

 “What happened was… an old friend,” Sarah started. She noticed a brief expression of understanding from Maria. “He didn’t think it was fair or right that the two of us had our time together taken away. So he… he gave some of it back.”

 “How sweet,” Rani said first.

 “So, you don’t just look younger?” Luke asked.

 “It was a full physical rejuvenation, not only limited to appearance,” the Doctor answered.

 “What a friend to have,” Clyde remarked.

 “It’s going to take a bit of getting used to,” Maria commented.

 “You’re telling me,” Sarah laughed.

 With the elephant in the room addressed, the conversation turned to the other aspects of the honeymoon.

 ********

 “My darlings, have you seen Sarah and the Doctor since she got back?” Gita asked her daughter and husband the next day. “They look younger. But not like they’ve had work done.  Not that I would ever think Sarah the type to do that anyway.”

 “I haven’t, but somehow, the two of them coming back from their honeymoon like that doesn’t really surprise me,” Haresh said. “I’m sure getting away from normal routine can have that effect. Time away to relax and not have to stress about day-to-day things… It’s refreshing.”

 “You’ll be flabbergasted when you see them in person, mark my words.” Gita gestured with her finger. “Rani, have they said anything to you about it?”

 Rani shrugged. “You’ve both said it before, that weird things happen around them.”

 “If I didn’t know better, I’d put her at… early thirties, and him at late thirties.”

 Haresh’s eyes widened. “That much younger?”

 “Talk about married life agreeing with them. Just gorgeous, they are.”

 “Sarah Jane has always been really pretty,” Rani remarked.

 “Yes, but it’s a good thing she’s got a ring on her finger now, because I imagine she’d be getting a lot of offers without it. Some might try their chances anyway.”

 “Mum!”

 ********

 “Look at these two. This is hardly fair, John,” Mike said in greeting to the Doctor and Sarah when he joined them at the corner table of the pub. “Absolutely stunning, the pair of you.”

 “Must’ve been a great honeymoon,” Benton remarked, passing out their drinks and sitting next to Mike.

 “It was, thank you,” Sarah replied.

 Benton lowered his voice, even though the general din of the pub made sure they weren’t well-overheard anyway. “Did the other Doctor at the wedding have anything to do with this?” He made a down-sweeping gesture with his hand towards them.

 “You rarely miss a trick,” the Doctor complimented.

 “He’s done so much for us already,” Sarah affirmed. “And now he’s given us more time together.”

 “I suppose that’s only right, even with the making you younger bit. You two deserve to grow old together.” Mike raised his glass, and the other three clinked theirs against it.

 “Hey, less of the old,” Sarah joked.

 “You’ll have to be careful now,” Benton chuckled. “People might think you’re Luke’s sister instead of mother.”

 Sarah blushed. “Oh, I hope not.”

 “I expect you’ve explained it to your kids and people like us, but what are you telling people who aren’t in on that aspect of your lives?” Mike inquired.

 “We’re keeping it vague for those people,” the Doctor answered.

 Mike and Benton nodded, and everyone took a long sip from their glasses.

 “He did it before the cake and dancing,” Sarah stated.

 “Ah, so that’s where you disappeared off to,” Benton said.

 “Good thing Jo found you without him,” Mike added.

 Sarah put her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. “Oh no, and the process was… involved intimate touching.”

 “She already said she’d found you two snogging in the corridor. Imagine if she’d walked in on that,” Mike couldn’t stifle his laughter.

 “I’d rather not imagine that.” Sarah’s cheeks turned slightly red. “But I know she would congratulate us on roping another in for some fun. ‘Good on you, girl,’ and all that.” She laughed again. “I expect the next time we see each other, she’s going to sit in my lap, stroke my face and hair, and tell me how beautiful I am again.”

 The four of them laughed together.

 ********

 “Hello, stranger.” Sarah smiled as she walked into the house from an interview, and saw both Doctors chatting at the kitchen table. “Staying for dinner?” she asked the older one.

 “If you’ll have me,” he replied. He looked the couple over as Sarah pulled her Timelord in for a greeting kiss. He quietly commented, “Seeing you two now is making it easier to take a trip into our memories.”

 “Since you worked your magic, you mean?” Sarah clarified. She kissed the grey-haired man’s cheek. “Thank you again, for this.”

 “I expect you’ve been asked about it?”

 “We’ve explained to who we think should know, keeping your name out of it, and been vague with everyone else,” the younger Doctor answered.

 “Quite the thing to have to explain, but I think we’ve managed,” Sarah agreed.

 “Good. I’d hate to have put you into an exceedingly difficult spot.”

 “We’ve certainly been in worse,” the brown-haired man said lightly.

 “That we have,” the older Timelord and Sarah answered in unison.


End file.
